Hiya folks! The Great Captain Flametail here with another One Piece fanfic! I have two other fanfics in the works, but I dunno if they'll ever see the light of day at the rate they're going… eh well. We'll see.
Anyway, this one's of a more serious nature than my last one. It also contains MAJOR HUGE SPOILERS FOR SEMI-RECENT CHAPTERS IN THE ONE PIECE MANGA. (Chapter 436, to be exact.) If you're not up to at least that chapter, you will be spoiled if you read this fic.
Disclaimer: One Piece is owned by Oda, not me. I would've totally screwed up the plot if I'd been the one to do it. B
That having been said, on with the fic!
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With a single thought, he jolted into existence.
I will carry you from one island to the next!
He didn't know where he was or who he was, but he most certainly knew what he was and what he wanted to do. He was a ship, and he would carry his crew from island to island until he was unable to sail any longer. That was his promise.
But… could he fulfill that promise? Just who was he, anyway? Where was he? Who was his crew?
He couldn't see anything but white. Was he blind? That worried him. He could still hear, though, and listened intently. All around him he heard a soft breeze, the gentle ocean waves, and the sound of a sheet being blown around in the wind. Ah, that explained why he couldn't see. He was covered by a sheet!
Wait, what was that? Voices? He could hear voices out in the distance… They were quiet at first, but they soon grew in volume and excitement as their owners drew closer to him. He strained to hear what they were saying, but suddenly with a great woosh! the sheet was gone!
He was floating next to an island. The island was covered in scraps from what appeared to be boats that had been destroyed in the past. He was frightened for a moment until he saw the people on the island. Among the exhausted, sleeping workers was a small group of people that were gazing up at him in awe.
Was this his crew? Were these the people that he had vowed to sail from island to island? Would he actually be able to keep that promise?
Hello.
He jerked back in surprise, but the people on the island dismissed it as a wave splashing against him and causing him to rock back slightly. What was that? he asked himself. The voice certainly didn't come from the humans on the shore. The voice he heard sounded like it had come from directly in front of him… But that was impossible! No one was there!
Hello, said the voice again. Now that he was paying more attention, he could hear the voice better. It sounded distant, with a faint echo, and it almost sounded as though the groaning of an old, old ship was intertwined with it. Whoever he was, he sounded tired, but happy.
"…Who are you?" His voice was quiet. The sound of the wind and the waves drowned out his voice, but it was only a faint whisper anyway.
I was once like you.
Once like me? Does that mean that he was once a… "Where are you? I don't see you."
I'm only a spirit now. My body lies at the bottom of the sea.
So he was a ship… "What do you want?"
He felt that if he could see the other ship, it would have been smiling. I just want you to keep your promise. That's all.
"But I don't know if I can! What if I'm not good enough?"
You're good enough. Your crew loves you already. The other ship gave a slight giggle.
Looking behind him, he could see the people that had been on the island rushing about his deck, exploring his different rooms, and generally being happy. "…I like them," he said.
Take good care of them.
"I will!" It appeared as though another wave had knocked him forward, giving him the appearance that he was nodding. "I will carry this crew from one island to the next!"
…Thank you. The other ship went silent, but spoke up again after a moment or so, quieter this time. I want to tell you a secret.
"What is it?"
You carry the crew of the Strawhat Luffy. He is a great pirate that wishes to reach Raftel, the final island of the Grand Line.
A pause.
…I know you have already made one promise, to carry this crew from one island to the next, but I want you to promise me something as well.
"What is it?"
Promise me that you will take him to that island someday. Promise me that you will take him to the end of the Grand Line. Promise me that, one day, you will become known as the ship of the Pirate King.
He remained silent for a moment, thinking. That was a lot to promise… But as he continued listening to his crew and how happy they were with him, he made his decision. "I promise."
Thank you, again… The voice wavered. You… you will be the great ship that I could not be. I could not take them as far as I wanted to… but I was happy. The voice began to fade. I was truly happy... You will… be happy… too…
"How can you be so sure!?" He waited for an answer, but it never came. The spirit of the old ship was gone. He remained silent, then, listening to the sounds around him.
Later that day, as he began to sail away from the island, he suddenly became worried when he heard the sounds of battle. Another ship was attacking them.
Cannonballs flew all around him, crashing into the water and just barely missing him. Some of the cannonballs flew towards him, but, amazingly, the pirates onboard were able to deflect them, keeping him perfectly safe.
I'm not like other ships, he realized with pride. I'm a ship that was born with two promises… I'm a ship that'll one day carry the Pirate King.
I'm the Thousand Sunny.